Lost in Translation Once Again: To Dread or Not to Dread?

The president of the community of villages in the Chamonix valley offers greetings to visitors using public transportation. It’s a great system: free bus and train rides for those staying in a local hotel. But perhaps the president should hire a new company for his English translations?

Here is his message:

The Municipality Communities of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley resolutely made a commitment in the improvement of service of collective transport in the valley. Through this guide you will discover the network with frequency of passage ….

The Valley also introduced a work of dialogue with all the users to evoke the theme of the mobility in all its diversity. The first exchanges allowed us to dread better the expected concrete evolutions: a comfort of stops, information travels, car park, etc…..

Hmmm.

The president even provides an email for suggestions — transports@cc-valleedechamonixmb.fr. So I propose sending him this response.

Dear Mr. President,

I for one don’t believe you should dread anyone — passenger or not. As for concrete evolutions, I imagine they are preferable to abstract ones, what with all the miles of road to resurface and what not. But, should you be referencing surface structure, as in concrete highways, I believe macadam would be preferable in Chamonix amid the gentle greenery of the valley.

One Reply to “Lost in Translation Once Again: To Dread or Not to Dread?”

It never ceased to surprise me go world many sites are translated. Why go to the trouble if not to do it right? Surely there are plenty of available translators around. Or perhaps they use Google translate. It’s always fun to out in some French source and see how ridiculous it is translated to English.

About the Author

I’ve never measured a successful trip by how many destinations I can circle on a map or check off a Bucket List. To me the best journey, and the best ravel, moves more like a good conversation. It ebbs and flows. It rarely rushes, but it’s also animated and unpredictable. It is filled with banter and laughter, and invites participants to linger rather than march forward inexorably like a tightly wound clock. Want to have dessert? A second glass of wine? A detour in a back-alley artisan’s shop? A pause at an overview by the side of the trail? Why not. Read more.